The incorporation of major amounts of builders in liquid detergent compositions poses a significant formulating challenge since the presence of major amounts of builder inevitably causes the detergent composition to phase separate. Builders such as sodium citrate, citric acid, sodium carbonate, and/or alkali metal silicates can only be incorporated in minor amounts in liquid detergent compositions, such amounts being typically below the concentration levels that would cause separation of the surfactant phase. However, the novel hydrophilic copolymers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,440 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,183 (both assigned to BASF) are useful in stabilizing concentrated built liquid detergent compositions.
Further, excessive dye-transfer during the washing of garments poses a problem for built liquid detergent formulators. Colored garments which are dyed with dyes having poor fastness, typically release dye during the wash process which then migrate to other garments during the wash thus diminishing the quality and appearance of garments. EP 587550, EP 587549, EP 581753, EP 581752, EP 581751, EP 579295, WO 9402581, WO 9503388, and WO 9506098 disclose the use of polyamine N-oxides as additives for controlling dye transfer during the laundering of garments. EP 576778, EP 576777, EP 582478, EP 635566, EP 635565, WO 9503390, WO 9503388, and WO 9506098 disclose the use of polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinylpyrrolidone-polyvinylimidiazole as dye transfer inhibitors for laundry formulations. While there are significant advantages to using polyvinyl pyrrolidone ( PVP) as a dye transfer inhibitor, the drawback is that the higher molecular weight polymers of PVP (greater than about 15000 MW) are not stable in liquid laundry formulations. This drawback is particularly problematic for the liquid detergent formulator since the higher molecular weight polyvinyl pyrrolidone polymers have significantly improved dye transfer inhibiting properties. Currently, the art is faced with the problem of how to incorporate high molecular weight polyvinyl pyrrolidone polymers into built liquid laundry formulations without destabilizing the formulation.
The Applicants have discovered that high molecular weight polyvinyl pyrrolidone polymers can now be successfully incorporated into build liquid detergent formulations which contain Applicants' hydrophilic polymer.